Parents of a child with a disability are at greater risk than other couples for having higher stress, adjustment difficulties, and lower marital quality. Respite care has been shown to reduce stress in parents of children with disabilities. This study focused on parents who have a child with Down syndrome and their reported marital quality and respite care received. One hundred and twelve couples, each consisting of a mother and a father who lived with their child with Down syndrome, completed questionnaires including the Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale, Experience in Close Relationships Questionnaire, Daily Hassles and Uplifts Scale, and a respite questionnaire. Results were mixed. Respite care did not predict marital quality for either wives or husbands. However, respite hours was related to wife stress, which was in turn related to wife marital quality. Respite hours was also related to husband stress, which was related to husband marital quality. In addition, wife uplifts was directly related to wife marital quality and to husband marital quality. Husband uplifts was related to husband marital quality. While not directly predicting marital quality, respite care was indirectly related to increases in marital quality through stress. Therefore, it is important that respite care be accessible and provided to parents who have a child with Down syndrome. Recommendations for policy makers and researchers are offered.

While there is ample research showing that adult children of divorced parents have more positive attitudes toward divorce and lower marital commitment, there has been no such research focused specifically on the Orthodox Jewish (OJ) population, which tends to view divorce more negatively. Prior to this study, it was thus unclear if the findings of existing research on marital competence applied to OJ children of divorce. Driven by social exchange theory, this study was designed to discover (a) whether OJ adult children of divorce differ significantly from OJ adult children of intact marriages in their marital commitment and marital satisfaction; (b) whether gender moderates the relationships between parental divorce, marital satisfaction, and marital commitment; and (c) if attitudes toward divorce mediate those relationships. Data from 162 adult OJ participants living in the United States were collected using quantitative cross-sectional survey methodology, and were analyzed using 1-way multivariate analysis of covariance, hierarchical multiple regression, and conditional process analysis. Results indicated that there were no significant differences between OJ adult children of divorce and OJ adult children of intact marriages in their marital commitment or marital satisfaction. Further, gender did not moderate the relationships between parental divorce and marital satisfaction or marital commitment, nor did attitudes toward divorce mediate those relationships. OJ community leaders may use the results of this study to help implement community awareness programs designed to reduce the stigma of parental divorce and its impact on the marriage prospects of OJ children of divorce.

Raising a child with a pervasive developmental disorder (PDD), particularly that of Fragile X Syndrome (FXS), is challenging, as it comes with parental stressors for both mothers and fathers. Research on these stressors has been limited to only the stressors that mothers of children with a PDD experience and has failed to thoroughly examine the experiences and stressors of fathers of children with a PDD, particularly that of FXS. Using Hill's ABC-X family stress theory, this quantitative research study investigated the effects of marital satisfaction due to the amount of shared childcare responsibilities and parental stress among the mothers and fathers of children diagnosed with FXS. This study also examined whether significant differences exist among these parents, who were recruited through the use of flyers, notices, and handouts that were randomly passed out to parents at the FXS Alliance of Texas located in the southwest region of Texas. Participants for this study were 128 parents of children with FXS, each of whom completed a demographic questionnaire, the Kansas Marital Satisfaction Scale, and The Sharing of Childcare Responsibilities Scale and Parental Stress Level Scale. An independent samples t test and multiple linear regression statistical analysis was employed. The results of the study indicated that parental stress associated with the amount of shared childcare responsibilities accounted for a significant degree of the variance in marital satisfaction. Yet the study did not find a significant mean difference in the level of parental stress that was experienced uniquely across gender. Potential social changes may include future development and improvements in treatment, therapeutic approaches, and predicted outcomes in efforts to enhance parental stress interventions so as to improve stress-related outcomes for parents of children with FXS.

Married couples often face serious issues that require them to make difficult decisions in their relationships. Many couples turn to marital counseling as a means to improve the marriage. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand and describe the experiences of heterosexual married individuals who participated in the Prevention and Relationship Enhancement Program (PREP) and how they felt their participation had influenced their perceived satisfaction in their marriages. The theoretical framework that guided this study was social exchange theory, which is a basis for thinking about the influence individuals have on each other in personal relationships. The research questions in this study addressed the experiences of individuals in PREP and the subsequent impact on marital satisfaction. This qualitative phenomenological study was used to better understand the individuals' experiences through interviews with 10 married individuals who were selected using criterion sampling. Data analysis included reading transcripts, coding, labeling, and interpreting the experiences. The results of this study revealed that communication and conflict resolution had an impact on marital satisfaction and extended support and supplemental programs influenced the experiences of the participants. The implications for positive social change relate to improved communication between married couples that may result in lasting improvements in their marriages. Others can learn from these experiences to create further positive change. Counselors could provide support outside of class and provide a supplemental program in order to improve the experience, possibly increase marital satisfaction, and decrease the likelihood of divorce.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between early attachment and marital satisfaction. Whereas partner attachment has been found to be related to marital satisfaction, little research has examined the relationship of early attachment to marital satisfaction. It was hypothesized that early attachment would impact the three components of marital satisfaction, i.e., communication, sexual satisfaction, and love/partner attachment in early adulthood. Participants were 35 male and 119 female college students ages 18 to 40 years (M = 27 yrs), who completed a questionnaire comprised of Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS) (Spanier, 1976), the sexual satisfaction subscale from the ENRICH measure (Olson, Fournier, & Druckman, 1983), the Communications Patterns Questionnaire (CPQ) (Christensen & Sullaaway, 1984), the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment (IPPA), (Armsden & Greenberg, 1987), and the Experience in Close Relationships ‑Revised (ECR ‑R) Questionnaire (Fraley, Waller, & Brennan, 2000). Results supported the hypothesized relationship between early attachment and marital satisfaction as early attachment was found to have a direct effect on partner attachment and an indirect effect on communication and sexual satisfaction. The results of this study suggest that early secure interactions between a child and caregiver promotes adult partner attachment, which in turn impacts marital satisfaction.

Adult attachment theory offers a promising conceptual framework for understanding the psychological and contextual factors that contribute to marital satisfaction. A consistent association has been found between adult attachment dimensions and marital satisfaction. The current study examined several mediating mechanisms that may explain the relationship between adult attachment dimensions and marital satisfaction. Specifically, relationship expectations, four types of responses to accommodative dilemmas (exit, neglect, voice, and loyalty), and three forms of empathy (empathic concern, perspective taking, empathic personal distress) were hypothesized to mediate the relationship between adult attachment and marital satisfaction. Self-report data were collected from both partners of 193 heterosexual, married couples. The attachment dimension of avoidance for husbands and wives was consistently associated with each couple member's respective marital satisfaction. Attachment anxiety was never directly associated with either husbands' or wives' marital satisfaction. Wives' marital satisfaction was explained by their own relationship expectations and exit responses. Additionally, wives' marital satisfaction was explained by their husband's relationship expectations, exit responses, empathic perspective taking, and loyalty responses. Husbands' marital satisfaction was explained by their own relationship expectations, exit responses, neglect responses, voice responses, loyalty responses, and empathic perspective taking. Results are discussed in light of current theories of adult attachment and marital satisfaction.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the predictor role of type of infidelity, trait positive affect, and coping on forgiveness via marital satisfaction. In addition, present study aimed to examine gender differences in the proposed relationships among study variables. Demographic Information Form, Positive Affect and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS), Transgression-Related Interpersonal Motivations Inventory (TRIM), Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS) and Turkish Ways of Coping Inventory (TWCI) were administered to 122 married individuals. Results indicated that 1) marital satisfaction did not mediate the relationship between types of infidelity and forgiveness / 2) marital satisfaction mediated the relationship between trait positive affect and forgiveness / 3) marital satisfaction did not mediate the relationship between problem focused-coping and forgiveness while marital satisfaction mediated the relationship between emotionfocused coping and forgiveness / 4) gender differences in proposed relationships among study variables were rejected because men and women have similar parameters for the proposed model. After findings were evaluated, limitations were discussed with an emphasis on recommendations for future research, and implications for clinical psychology were mentioned.

The major problems that this study addressed were the identification of group differences on masculinity, femininity, monthly frequency of sexual fantasy, monthly frequency of masturbation, and marital satisfaction, as well as the investigation of which predictor variables account for a significant proportion of the criterion variables monthly frequency of sexual fantasy, monthly frequency of masturbation, and marital satisfaction. BEM Sex Roles Inventory-Short Form (BSRI-SF), Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS), , and Demographic Information Form were administered 200 married individuals. To test the hypotheses of the study, ANOVA and Stepwise Multiple Regression Analyses were conducted. Results revealed that, gender differentiated the groups on masculinity, femininity, monthly frequency of sexual fantasy, and monthly frequency of masturbation. However, no difference was found for marital satisfaction. Apart from that, gender, frequency of sexual intercourse, and age found to be the predictors of monthly frequency of sexual fantasy. Another finding was that, gender, the belief that masturbation is not socially accepted, marital satisfaction, and femininity significantly predicted monthly frequency of masturbation. Lastly, results revealed that monthly frequency of sexual intercourse and monthly frequency of masturbation contributed to the prediction of marital satisfaction. The findings were discussed in the light of the relevant literature.

Esta investigación se sitúa dentro de los planteamientos de la Psicología de la Personalidad que enfatiza las variables intrapersonales como determinantes de la satisfacción marital. La Personalidad normal o anormal, puede ser en parte, junto con otras variables, la causa de una relación de pareja satisfactoria o insatisfactoria. Se ha partido del supuesto de que la personalidad de cada uno de los miembros de la pareja contribuye de forma independiente a la Satisfacción Marital. El temperamento también es investigado, en tanto que contribuye a constituir factores o rasgos de personalidad, se analizan las relaciones existentes entre las dimensiones del temperamento y la satisfacción marital. El objetivo de la presente tesis es determinar de forma empírica si las variables del temperamento ( partiendo del modelo teórico de Thomas y Chess, 1977) se relacionan con la Satisfacción Marital. A su vez se investiga si las dimensiones del temperamento están relacionadas con la Conducta Sexual, ya que la Conducta Sexual mantiene relaciones significativas con la Satisfacción Marital. Un segundo objetivo de la investigación ha sido el analizar las relaciones existentes entre las dimensiones de Personalidad, Neuroticismo y Extraversión con la Satisfacción Marital y con la Conducta Sexual. Por último, también se ha analizado si el tiempo de casados y la edad de los miembros de la pareja mantienen alguna relación significativa con la Satisfacción Marital y con la Conducta Sexual. / We have investigated the relacionship between the dimensions of temperament (from Thomas & Chess theoretical model, 1977) and the marital satisfaction and sexual behaviour, in this doctoral thesis. At the same time, we have analysed what is the relationship which the variable of Personality, Neuroticism and Extroversion, holds whith marital satisfaction and sexual behavior. Finally, the relationship between the time of marriage and the age of the couple whith marital satisfaction and sexual behavior.

The present study investigated the effects of childhood abuse that occurred before the age of 18 on levels of marital satisfaction in older age. The study examined marital satisfaction in a group of Caucasian older married individuals with a mean age of 65.4 years who retrospectively endorsed a history of childhood physical, verbal and/or sexual abuse. Although previous studies examined the relationship of child maltreatment on young and middle-age adult relationship satisfaction, the study addressed a gap in the literature in that it examined the impact of child maltreatment on marital satisfaction in older age. Marital satisfaction in older age is particularly important to understand due to the health and psychological benefits derived from being in a satisfying marriage in older age (Booth & Johnson, 1994; Dush, Taylor, & Kroeger, 2008; Proulx, Helms, & Buehler, 2007), which is a time when health may become fragile. Furthermore, this study expands the current literature by explicating plausible mediators in the association between child maltreatment and late-life marital satisfaction. In particular, based on life course theory, the study examined specific life course risks (i.e., early marriage, early childbirth, and multiple divorces) and adult individual characteristics (i.e., avoidance coping and depression) as plausible mediators in the association between child abuse and later life marital satisfaction. The study examined men and women separately and investigated the effect of the severity of abuse on relationship functioning. The study used Structural Equation Modeling to analyze the data and tested all relationships between abuse, each mediator, and marital satisfaction. Results demonstrate that child maltreatment is negatively associated with late life marital satisfaction and that mid-life depression mediates that association for both men and women. Additionally, modification indices suggested that avoidance coping may influence late life marital satisfaction through a connection with depression and that coping by wishful thinking may be relatively more harmful for martial satisfaction than other forms of cognitive and behavioral avoidance coping. Findings suggest that treating depression in mid-life may be a feasible route to help individuals who have a history of early childhood abuse to have satisfying and protective relationships later in life.